Patentable/Patents/US-11347072
US-11347072

Portable information terminal with image processing generating subject image from moire fringe image

PublishedMay 31, 2022
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

The cost and power consumption of an imaging apparatus are reduced by facilitating detection of an incident angle of a light beam transmitted through a grating substrate. An image sensor converts an optical image captured by pixels arranged on an imaging surface and outputs the converted image signal. A modulator is configured to modulate intensity of light; and an image processing circuit performs image processing of the output image signal. The modulator has a grating substrate, a grating pattern formed on a back surface side of the grating substrate arranged in proximity to the light receiving surface of the image sensor; and a grating pattern formed on a front surface facing the back surface. Each of the grating patterns is constituted of a plurality of concentric circles. The modulator performs intensity modulation on the light transmitted through the grating pattern and outputs the modulated light to the image sensor.

Patent Claims
19 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A portable information terminal comprising: an image sensor configured to convert light received by a plurality of pixels arranged in an array on a light receiving surface into an image signal and output the image signal; a transmissive modulator arranged on a side closer to the light receiving surface of the image sensor and being configured to modulate the light; and an image processing circuitry configured to perform image processing of the image signal output from the image sensor, wherein a first concentric pattern is formed on one surface of the transmissive modulator, and the transmissive modulator is configured to modulate incident light by the first concentric pattern, wherein the image sensor receives the light modulated by the transmissive modulator and outputs the image signal that includes an image corresponding to the first concentric pattern, and wherein the image processing circuitry is configured to: input the image signal that includes the image corresponding to the first concentric pattern output from the image sensor; generate an image of a second concentric pattern; generate an image corresponding to the first concentric pattern contained in the input image signal, and generate a moire fringe image using the image of the second concentric pattern; perform processing including a two-dimensional Fourier transform on the generated moire fringe image, and generate an image; and control the image of the second concentric pattern to change.

2

2. The portable information terminal according to claim 1 , wherein a pitch of concentric circles in the first concentric pattern becomes narrower in a direction from a center of the concentric circles toward an outer side.

3

3. The portable information terminal according to claim 1 , wherein a pitch of concentric circles in each of the first concentric pattern and the second concentric pattern becomes narrower in a direction from a center of the concentric circles toward an outer side.

4

4. The portable information terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the image processing circuitry is configured to generate the second concentric pattern such that a center position of the concentric circles in the image of the second pattern is offset from a center position of the concentric circles in the image corresponding to the first concentric pattern.

5

5. The portable information terminal according to claim 4 , wherein the center position of the concentric circles in the image corresponding to the first concentric pattern and the center position of the concentric circles in the image of the second concentric pattern are offset from each other in a short side direction of an image output from the image processing circuitry.

6

6. The portable information terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the first concentric pattern is formed of a cylindrical lens.

7

7. The portable information terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the image processing circuitry calculates a frequency spectrum of the moire fringe image by performing a two-dimensional Fourier transform on the moire fringe image, calculates intensity of the frequency spectrum of the moire fringe image, and generates an image.

8

8. The portable information terminal according to claim 1 , further comprising: a focus position controller, wherein the image processing circuitry controls the image of the second concentric pattern to change in accordance with a user operation for the input unit.

9

9. The portable information terminal according to claim 8 , wherein the image processing circuitry controls the image by changing the image of the second concentric pattern to focus.

10

10. The portable information terminal according to claim 8 , wherein the image processing circuitry controls a size of the second concentric pattern to enlarge or reduce by the user operation for the input unit.

11

11. The portable information terminal according to claim 9 , wherein the image processing circuitry controls a size of the second concentric pattern to enlarge or reduce by the user operation for the input unit.

12

12. A portable information terminal comprising: an image sensor configured to convert light received by a plurality of pixels arranged in an array on a light receiving surface into an image signal and output the image signal; a transmissive modulator arranged on a side closer to the light receiving surface of the image sensor and being configured to modulate the light; and an image processing circuitry configured to perform image processing of the image signal output from the image sensor, wherein a concentric pattern is formed on one surface of the transmissive modulator, and the transmissive modulator is configured to modulate incident light by the concentric pattern, the image sensor receives the light modulated by the transmissive modulator and outputs the image signal that includes an image corresponding to the concentric pattern, and the image processing circuitry is configured to: input the image signal that includes the image corresponding to the concentric pattern output from the image sensor; generate a virtual moire fringe image when the image corresponding to the concentric pattern including the input image signal combines with another concentric pattern; perform processing including a two-dimensional Fourier transform on the generated moire fringe image; and generate an image.

13

13. The portable information terminal according to claim 12 , wherein a pitch of concentric circles in the concentric pattern becomes narrower in a direction from a center of the concentric circles toward an outer side.

14

14. The portable information terminal according to claim 12 , wherein the concentric pattern is formed of a cylindrical lens.

15

15. The portable information terminal according to claim 12 , wherein the image processing circuitry calculates a frequency spectrum of the moire fringe image by performing a two-dimensional Fourier transform on the moire fringe image, calculates intensity of the frequency spectrum of the moire fringe image, and generates an image.

16

16. The portable information terminal according to claim 12 , wherein the image processing circuitry generates another image of the other concentric pattern, and controls the other image to change.

17

17. The portable information terminal according to claim 16 , wherein the image processing circuitry controls the image by changing the other image to focus.

18

18. The portable information terminal according to claim 16 , further comprising: a focus position controller, wherein the image processing circuitry control a size of the other concentric pattern to enlarge or reduce by a user operation for the input unit.

19

19. The portable information terminal according to claim 17 , further comprising: a focus position controller, wherein the image processing circuitry control a size of the other concentric pattern to enlarge or reduce by a user operation for the input unit.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

January 21, 2021

Publication Date

May 31, 2022

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Cite as: Patentable. “Portable information terminal with image processing generating subject image from moire fringe image” (US-11347072). https://patentable.app/patents/US-11347072

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